Plate holder for cylinder presses



G. s. KRoHN ETAL 2,950,678 PLATE HOLDER FOR CYLINDER PRESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet l i i l i l J Aug. 30, 1960 Filed May 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. S. KROHN FAL PLATE HOLDER FOR CYLINDER PRESSES Aug. 30, 1960 Filed May 2, 1955 Aug. 30, 1960 G. s. KROHN ETAL 2,950,678

PLATE HOLDER FSR CYLINDER PRESSES Filed May 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 30, 1960 G. s. KRoHN ETAL 2,950,678

PLATE HOLDER FOR CYLINDER PRESSES Filed may 2. 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z55@ 5 v 6a @jaap QJ 395 35 3g @Liberi jfroknf,

, 120687Z (2A/M5,

Chrlesgvimm llnite States Patent 2,950,678 Patented Aug. 3o, 1960 PLATE nonnen non lcvrrisnornz rnnssns Gilbert S. Krohn, Chicago, Robert G. Neuhaus, Homewood, and Charles F. Ahlgrimm, Flossmoor, Ill., assignor-S to R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 2, 1955, Ser. No. 565,374

6 Claims. (Cl. 101-378) This invention relates to a plate holder for cylinder presses, and in particular relates to a plate holder arrangement including underlocking plate tensioning clips.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for locking printing plates onto the plate cylinder of a rotary printing press, and to so organize the mechanism as `to permit extreme flexibility in arrangement of plates on the cylinder, reduction of interplate space to permit heavier loading of cylinders, and individual adjustment of clips and spacer lugs to permit accurate alignment of the plates in multi-color printing.

Plates are mounted on the plate cylinder of a printing press by placing several plates in end-to-end relationship around the circumference of the cylinder to form a band of plates, and arranging a plurality of closely-spaced bands of plates along the length of the cylinder. The plates must be very rmly secured to the cylinder, and preferably are pulled into tension at their ends so as to avoid any tendency of plate bulge which would cause undesirable bearing pressures between the plate roll and the impression roll.

The present invention employs a plate cylinder provided with parallel, longitudinal channels, and plate clip assemblies and spacer assemblies mounted in the channels. Each channel extends continuously, and is completely filled with alternate plate clip assembly bases and side lug spacer blocks.

Each plate clip assembly base is adapted -to interlock with the spacer blocks which dank it so that attachment of the blocks to the chatmel also retains the assembly bases in the channel.

Flexibility or" layout may be effected by using spacers of dilerent widths depending upon the particular signature layout which is being printed, or the spacer block and plate clip base arrangement may also be varied for printing gatefolds.

Each plate clip assembly base is provided with two circumferentially extending channels, or slideways in each of which are two plate clips. Suitable gear mechanism is provided for moving each of the plate clips in the guideway, and four separate gear actuating means are provided in the base on its longitudinal median plane so that each may he manipulated by means of an Allen wrench inserted through the space between the ends of two printing plates in a band. Each plate has a pair of notches in its underside adjacent each end, and two plate clips in each base engage the notches in one printing plate while the other two plate clips in the base engage the notches in the adjacent plate in a band. The space between the ends of adjacent plates in the band is only 3/s inch, and this is ample for insertion of an Allen wrench to operate the gear actuating means and draw the clips into iirm interlocking, tensioning engagement with the notches in the plates.

rl`he spacer blocks have four guideways which extend longitudinally of the cylinder and have small gear racks in their bases. A side guide lug in each guideway has a small downwardly projecting pinion which engages with the rack, and suitable mechanism is provided in ythe lug to move it along the rack into abutting engagement with the side of a plate on the cylinder. The side lugs are merely for the purpose of butting against the plate margins to give perfect lateral register between the plates. Each spacer block has a lug to bear against the sides of four plates near their adjacent corners.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a plate cylinder equipped with th underlocking and side guide mechanism of the present invention, the plates being shown in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of one channel showing one of the plate clip assembly bases and two spacer blocks therein;

Fig. 4 is a section tal-ren as indicated along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line 7 7 of Pig. 3, with the end portions of two printing plates in place;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line S-S of Fig. 3, with parts omitted for clarity;

Fig. 9 is a section `taken as indicated along the line 9 9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. l0 is a section taken as indicated along the line ref id of Fig. 5, the projecting heads of the clips being in elevation;

Fig. ll is a section taken as indicated along the line M ll of Fig. 5, the projecting heads of the clips being in elevation;

Fig. l2 is a section taken as indicated along the line l2 12 of Fig. 5;

Eig. 13 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line 13 l3 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 14 is a section taken as indicated along the line 4 l4 of Fig. 13.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring irst to Fig. l, a printing press is provided with a plate cylinder Ztl which is mounted in end bearer plates 2l and 21a having stub shafts 22 and 22a by which they are mounted in trunnions. Ordinarily a plate cylinder 29 has two plate mounting sections 23 and 24.separated by a stagger line 25. The plates in the section 24 to the right of the stagger line are oiset 33% with respect to the plates in the left-hand plate section 23. The plate cylinder 29 is adapted to receive four printing plates arranged in a band B1 near the left-hand bearer 2l of the plate area 23, and additional bands B2, B3 and B4 of plates in the section 23 which are progressively nearer the stagger line 25. In the section 24 to the right of stagger line 25 are two more bands of plates indicated as B5 and B6, which, as previously mentioned, are oiset 33% with respect to the plates in the bands B1-4, inclusive. To simplify the discussion, two adjacent plates in band Bl are designated Pl and P2, while the two corresponding plates in band B2 are P3 and P4.

ln the plate section 23 the cylinder 26 has four longitudinally extending channels 26 which are spaced 90 apart, while in the section 24 to the right of the stagger line 25 are four channels 27 each of which is oiset 33% from the corresponding channel 26 in the plate section 23. In each channel 26, spaced a short distance in from the bearer 2l, is a spacer assembly indicated generally at 28 and next to the spacer assembly 28 is a plate clip assembly 29. Extending from end to end of the channel 26 are alternate spacer assemblies 2S and plate clip assemblies 29. `An end spacer assembly which overlaps the staggerrline 25 is designated 28a, and is somewhat narrower than'assemblies 23 and has rounded outer corn`ers.`V Similarly, channel 27 contains an end spacer assembly 2817, having rounded outer corners which Voverlaps`stagger line 25, then a plate clip assembly 29, then a spacer assembly 28, `another plate clip assembly 29 and a final spacer. assembly 28-which is close to the righthand bearer 21a of the plate cylinder 2G.

As seen in Figi.V 4, each spacer assembly 28 includes a spacer block 30A'which has recesses' 31 along its lower margin; Vand each plate clip, assembly 29 includes an assembly base 32 which has projecting anges 33 along its Vends to interlock with the recesses 31, so that the spacer blocks 30 and assembly bases 32 may all be held in the channel 26 by means Yof a pair of bolts 34 which extend Vthrough the spacer blocks and screw into threaded Openings 35 in the bottom of the channel 26. A bore 7 S at the center of spacer block 30 is tapped to receive a 'socket head seti-screw 79 which may be used -as a jack screw to lift and loosen the spacer block in the groove 26 -for easy removal.

As viewed in Fig. l, the cylinder is set up for what might be called a normal running arrangement for printing signatures. It is often necessary to make a fairly rapid change in the layout of plates on a plate cylinder. Thus, for example, a press might be used one day for running a magazine which has white margins of substantial widtharound the printed matter. it might be used Vto run a less expensive type of publication which fills the pages more completely and uses narrower margins. On another day it might he necessary to run ,aV gatefold in the same press. l't is also necessary to vary the 'plate layout'for printing four-page, eight-page or twelve-page` signatures, or a combination of a `fourpage and an eight-page.

Any of the foregoing changes. may be readily accomplished by removing the bolts 34 from the spacer blocks, jacking up the spacer blocks by means of the socket head set screws 7 9 to loosen them in the channels 26, and re- "moving the spacer assemblies and plate clip assemblies from the channel. Any desired rearrangement of layout is `accomplished by reassembling the spacer assemblies in thechannels with spacer blocks of dilerent dimensions so that the plate arrangement meets the requirements of the particular job to be run.

Referring now particularly to Figs. to l2, inclusive, the plate clip assembly'base 32 has a at base which is 'slightly recessed between the llanges 33, and has an arcu- `ate top 36 which is a segment of the surface of plate cylinder 20. VExtending across the base 32, so as to be Ycircumferential of the cylinder, is a pair of slideways 37 which, as best seen in Figs. 9 and l0, are provided with Yundercut side slides 38 running along both sides so that a plate clip, indicated generally at 39, may be slidably mounted in the slideway 37 with a pair of laterally extending, interlocking shoulders 46 carried in side slides 38 to provide an interlock which retains the clip 39 in the slidewayV 37. As best seen in Figs. 7 and l0, each clip 39 has a neck 41 which extends above the top 36 of the base 32 and is provided with a head 42 which ex- Y tends Ylongitudinally with respect to the plate cylinder 2t) and has yan undercut inclinedY plate engaging face 42a. The underside of each clip 39 is a segment 43 of an -internal gear the theoretical center'of which is at the center of the plate cylinder 20; and since the slideways 37 are also cut on arcs, as seen in Figf7, which have their centers at the center of the plate cylinder, the clips 379v may travel smoothly in the slideways 37 and are operated bymeans of gear mechanism meshing with the internal geartsegment 43 in a manner to be described. As seen in Fig. 3, the four clips are designated as 39a to d, inclusive! Clips 39a and c have their plate engag- On the next day Yto be clear from the foregoing detailed description.

4 t ing faces to the front with respect to the direction of rotation of cylinder 20, While clips 39h and d face in the opposite direction.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6, 7 and S, there are similar mechanisms at both ends of base 32, so `only one end will be described in detaiL Extending in from one end of the base 32 above the flanges 33 are parallel bores 44 and 45 which extend under the slideways 37. Journalled in the bore 44 is a shaftV d6 providedV with an integral gear 47 which meshes with the gear segment 43 on the underside of plate clip 39a. The shaft 46 is also provided with a drive gear 48 (see Fig. 6). The bore 44 is closed by means `of an end plate 49 which has a central recess 49a to aiord a bearing for shaft 46. At one part of the periphery. of plate 49 is a notch to receive the edge of a bevel headed screw 50 which screws into a threaded hole in the base 32 to retain the plate 49 in position.

VMounted in the bore 45 is a shaft 51 on which is an integral gear 52 which meshes with a gear segment 43 on the underside of clip 39b which is in the same slidewayV 37 with clip 3941. The shaft `51 is provided with .a drive gear 53 whichis on the opposite side of the slideway 37 from the drive gear 48 for the shaft 46. An Velongated plug 54 has a recess 54a` at its inner endwhich serves as a bearing for the shaft V51, .and a notch in the margin'of the outer face ofthe plug 54 accommodates the edge of the head of a bevel headed screw 55 by means of which the plug 54 is held in place in the bore 45.

As best seen in Fig. 9, on the longitudinal median plane of the base 32 Aand flanking slideway 37 is a pair of bores 151 and 152 extending downwardly from the top 36 of the base 32 into a pair of counterbores 153 and 154, respectively, in which are mounted shafts and 156, respectively. The lower ends 155e and 156e of the shafts 155 and 156fare journalled in Ysuitable thrust blocks 57 and 58 which have adjacent notches so as to be held in place by the head of a single large bevel headed screw 59 which engages with both of the thrust blocks. The shaft 155 isV provided Within the counterbore 153 with a self-locking'worm 60, whilethe shaft 156 is provided within the counterbore 154 with a selflocking worm 61 which, together with sockets 155b and 156i: in shafts 155 and i156, respectively, which are adapted to receive Allen wrenches to rotate the worms t 6l) and 61, provide means for manually moving the clips k39a and 39h because, as best seen in Figs. 6, 8 and 1&2, the Worm 60 meshes with drive gear 48 of shaft 46, while the gear 61 meshes with drive gear 53 on shaft 51.

Operation of the plate clip assembly 29 is believed Referring to Fig. 7, printing plate P1 is provided with a pair of recesses 62 adjacent each end which are adapted to be aligned with slideways 37.V Recesses 62 have inclined undercut forward faces 63 which are engaged by the inclined faces 42a of the plate clip head 42, so that when a plate clip head 42 is in engagement with a notch 62 in the underside ofa plate the plate is firmly retained against outward displacement resulting from the centrifugal force of the rotating plate cylinder 20. Similarly, plate P2 has recesses 62'at each end. The clips 39a and 39e engage the recesses 62 in the plate P1,'while the clips 39h and d engage the recesses in the plate P2 adjacent the plate P1. Each plate has a pair of recesses 62 at each end, and there are plate engaging clips 39 at each end of each plate so'that when the clips 39 are drawn into engagement with the recesses at both endsof the plate P, the plate is pulled longitudinally into'tension circumferentially of the vplate cylinder 20.

The arrangement of the gear actuating shafts 155 and 156 on the longitudinal median plane of the base inch; so that the present arrangement of plate clip assemblies permits the very complete loading of the plate cylinder 20. Thus, rotation of an Allen wrench inserted in socket 1155!: will operate self-locking worm 60 which operates through drive gear 48 on shaft 46 and gear 47 on shaft 46 meshes with the gear segment 43 on the bottom of clip 39a to move that clip into tensioning engagement with a recess 62 on the plate P1 (Fig. l). Similarly, insertion of an Allen wrench into socket 15611 operates through self-locking worm 61, gear 53 on shaft S1, and gear 52 to internal gear segment 43 on plate clip 3917. Similarly, referring to Fig. -3, socket 55e permits manipulation of clip 39d while socket 56C controls operation of clip 39C.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 8, each assembly base 32 is provided with a pair of grease fittings 48a and 53a for the lubrication of the actuating assemblies which include the gears 48 and 53, respectively.

Correct spacing between the plates such as plate B1 in band B1 and plate P3 in band B2, and plates P2 and P4 in bands B1 and B2, is achieved by the spacer assembly 28, which include the spacer blocksV 38. As best seen in Fig. 13, each spacer block 30 has a top 65 which is an arc of the surface of plate cylinder 26, and is provided with a plurality of guideways 66 which extend longitudinally with respect to plate cylinder 20 and have gear racks 68 in their bottoms. In each guideway 66 is a plate side lug 69, and as seen in Fig. 3, there is a side lug 69a abutting against the side of platePl near its lower end, a lug 69b abutting the margin of plate P2 nearest the plate P1; and lugs 69C and 69d which abut, `respectively, the adjacent side margins of plates P3 and P4 in band B2.

As best seen'in Figs. 13 and 14, each plate lug 69 has a pair of matching halves 70a and 70h held together by screws 71. The two matching halves 70a and 7Gb are suitably recessed to receive a drive gear 72 which meshes with racks 68 in the bottom of guideway 66, and a shaft 73 provided with a worm 74 which meshes with gear 72. As seen in Fig. 3, lrack 68 has its teeth set about 5 off a line parallel to the circumference of plate cylinder 20; and the teeth of drive gear 72 are set to correspond with the angle of the rack teeth 68, which permits a smooth driving engagement between the worm 74 and the teeth of gear 72. The shaft 73 extends upwardly through the top of base 70 and has a hexagonal socket 73a in its upper end to receive an Allen wrench. Swivelly mounted on shaft 73 is a neck 75 for a rectangular plate engaging lug 76 extending above the top of base 78. As best seen in Fig. 13, the matching halves 70a and 70h are provided with laterally extending retainers 77a and b, respectively, which extend into retainer grooves 67 to keep the side lug assemblies 69 in the guideways 66. vIt is clear from the foregoing that each of the plate lug assemblies 69 may be individually manipulated by means of a small Allen wrench so as to drive it along the gear rack 68 in the guideway 66 in order to bring it into abutting engagement with a printing plate as previously described; and the swivelly mounted lug 76 may turn slightly to bring its entire face against the plate in case the plate is skewed on the cylinder for alignment.

From the foregoing description, it is clear that absolute registry of the several printing plates upon a single plate cylinder 20 may be achieved by means of ythe present invention. Since each of the four plate clips 39 which locks into the four recesses `62 on the underside of a plate is individually adjustable, the plate may be canted very slightly with respect to the circumference of the plate cylinder 2i) so as to obtain absolute angular registry between plates; and likewise the individual positioning `of the clips 39 longitudinally of the plate permits each plate to be perfectly registered with the ones on either side of it in the band. Similarly, individual adjustment of all of the side lug assemblies 69 permits perfect alignment of the side edges ofthe plates in a given band, and the space between the bands.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as some modifications will Ibe obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. ln a printing press, in combination: a plate cylinder adapted to support a plurality of spaced, circumferential bands of printing plates with the plates in each band in closely spaced end-to-end relationship, said cylinder having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal channels; a plurality of removable plate clip assembly vbases detach- -ably secured in spaced relationship in each channel, there being a base aligned with each band of plates, each base having an arcuate slideway extending circumferentially of the cylinder; a pair of plate clips slidably mounted in each slideway, said clips having oppositely inclined faces projecting above the base and each `of said clips being engageable with one of two adjacent plates in a band; gear means in each base engaged with -the clips therein; gear actuating means in each base which is accessible through the space Abetween the ends of two adjacent plates to move the clips into locking engagement with said plates; a removable side lug spacer block at each end of each channel and between each two adjacent assembly bases, said spacer blocks and bases filling `the channel from end to end; a pair of side lugs mounted in each block for movement longitudinally of the cylinder; and means for moving said side lugs into engagement with plates in two adjacent bands to iix the spacing between said plates.

2. The device of claim 1 in which fastening means are provided to secure the spacer blocks in the channels, and the spacer blocks have marginal steps over-lying portions of the assembly bases to hold the bases in the channels.

3. In a printing press, in combination: a plate cylinder adapted to support a plurality of spaced, circumferential bands of printing plates with the plates in each band in closely spaced end-to-end relationship, said cylinder having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal channels; a plurality of removable plate clip assembly bases in longitudinally spaced relationship in each channel, each of said bases being provided with adjustable clip mechanism for engaging the adjacent ends of two plates in a band to establish the circumferential positions of the plates; removable spacer assembly blocks alternating with the bases in a channel so that the bases and blocks fill the channel from end to end, each of said blocks being provided with adjustable side lug mechanism to establish the longitudinal position on the cylinder of two plates in a band; and means detachably securing said bases and blocks in the channel.

4. In a printing press, in combination: a plate cylinder adapted to support a plurality of spaced, circumferential bands of printing plates with the plates in each band in closely spaced end-to-end relationship, said cylinder having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal channels, the center lines of adjacent channels being spaced apart by a distance slightly greater than the length of a plate; a plurality of plate clip assembly bases mounted in spaced relationship in each channel, there being circumferentially aligned bases in two adjacent channels which are provided with adjustable clip mechanism for engaging opposite ends of a plate to establish the circumferential position of said plate; spacer assembly blocks alternating with and interlocked with the bases in each channel so that the bases and blocks ll the channel from end to end; a plurality of side lugs in each spacer assembly block which are movable longitudinally of the cylinder, said lugs in ltwo circumferentially adjacent -blocks cooperating to fLx the positions of two adjacent plates longitudinally of the cylinder; and means detachably securing said bases and said blocks in said channels.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which each spacer assembly block has tivo` side lugs on each side of its longitudinal center line, and each of said four side lugs abuts a diierent plate.

A6. In a printing press, inrcombination: a plate cylinder adapted to support a plurality of spaced, circumferential bands of printing pilates with the plates in each band in closely spaced end-to-end relationship, said cylinder having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal channels; a plurality of removable'plate clip assembly bases in longitudinally spaced relationship in each channel, each of Vsaid bases being provided with adjustable clip mechanism for engaging the adjacent'ends of two plates in a band to establish the circumferential positions of the plates; removable spacer assembly blocks alternating with the bases in a channel so that the bases and yblocks, fill the the channel Vfromendto-end, each 1of said blocks being provided with adjustable side lug mechanism adapted to bear ona circumerentially extendingside of arpla'te;and means detachably securing said bases and blocks in the channels'.l Y

References CitedV in the le of this patent VUNITED STATES i ATEr-1TsV 

